Kaja Kallas, the EU’s representative on external affairs, said on Tuesday that the bloc should intensify its actions against Russia’s “shadow fleet” to increase pressure on the country. “We need more economic pressure on Russia” she told the ARD news programme “Tagesthemen”.
Kallas explained that the shadow fleet is a tool Russia uses to ship oil and thereby finance its war. “We must do something about it” she said. “That’s where we need to be creative”.
Speaking during her visit to Brest in Ukraine, she added that the EU must now start pursuing those responsible, even though it will be difficult. “When the war ends, we need to be sure that the people who have suffered will see justice” she stressed.
When asked whether weapons intended for Ukraine are being diverted because of the war in the Middle East, Kallas described the situation as a “focus competition between the two wars”. She said she had asked NATO whether a piece of equipment financed by Europe was heading to the Middle East. The answer was “not correct”. According to her, the weapons will continue to supply Ukraine as originally planned.